The invention relates to a machine which may be moved over the ground in a predetermined direction and is capable of conditioning stalked goods taken off the ground. It includes a rotor which defines a periphery and in use is rotatable about a main axis substantially parallel to the ground. A guide member is disposed opposite a portion of the periphery of the rotor and forms therewith a guide channel, and brushes are connected to the rotor at selected portions near the periphery operatively sweeping the goods through the guide channel.
In an apparatus of this type known from International Publication No. WO79/00863, stationary brush elements are mounted within the guide channel so that they are operatively disposed opposite the rotor brushes, to condition the cut goods passing through the guide channel. The depth of insertion of these stationary brush elements into the guide channel is adjustable, so as to tailor the operation of the device to the goods to be processed.
Experience has shown that, as a rotor only equipped with brushes can receive cut stalked goods in general only incompletely, and as furthermore, the goods are subject to strong contamination in the known apparatus, the individual bristles of the brushes must be relatively very stiff, so that the goods on the ground and cut by a mower disposed ahead of the apparatus can be satisfactorily received in the apparatus. It is known that in devices of this type the individual bristles have a diameter of about 4 millimeters.
Here the difficulty is encountered that as a result of the high stiffness of these brushes the cut goods or fodder are torn into shreds or parts in the guide channel, which parts or shreds remain, for example, on the ground during subsequent collection, for example, by a truck, as their size is too small to be seized during pick-up of the goods. Here in particular a fodder rich in leaves, which has a high nutient value, is strongly affected by this destructive process, and subject to large losses.
But as these fine parts must be particularly taken into account, the conditioning effect on the cut stalks or the fodder is no longer present, so that the drying process is considerably delayed. On the other hand, if the apparatus is adjusted so that the tough stalks are considerably abrased, then in turn the nutrient leaves are considerably damaged in an undesired manner.
The known arrangement has a further disadvantage, that no adjustment for different ranges of fodder can take place. Lastly the stationary brush elements extending in an approximately radial direction into the guide channel carry with them the risk of a clogging up of the guide channel. Furthermore the spaces between the brush elements also are clogged up with the cut goods or fodder, so that the conditioning of the fodder passing through the guide channel is further impaired in a disadvantageous manner.
Other arrangements are also known, in which a transport drum or an impact drum includes Y-shaped pivotably connected impact tools. A mower is here disposed immediately ahead of the impact drum, as seen in the direction of movement of the machine, which supplies the cut stalk goods toward the impact drum. Mechanisms of this type subject the stalked goods, however, to strong impacts so that the fodder leaves the machine frequently comminuted or diminished.
A more careful treatment of the stalked goods is obtained with devices which are provided with simple, straight-line or cylindrical mallets. The action of such mallets on the stalked goods is frequently, however, incomplete.